Staying in Berlin with family for three months

Hello everybody,
I am going to visit Berlin for two-three months by an invitation from TU Berlin. They offered me 2300 euros (Tax free). They hired for my family a furnished three-room aparetment for 805 euros. My wife and I have three children: 7-year, 5-year and 3-year. What kind of life style we may have for the rest 1500 euros? Since it is difficult to use public transport with the children, I think to buy a small car to use for these two-three months. How much I have to pay for the car and how much is the car insurance? Please advise.

You might want to double check that apartment! A three room apartment in Germany means a living room and two bedrooms. With three children, that's going to be quite cramped.

Sorry I can't help with the cost of living in Berlin, but for info about the used car market you can take a look at the two largest online car sites: www.autoscout24.de and www.mobile.de. That will give you a good idea of what various types of used cars are going for. As for insurance, it all depends on your driving record, personal stats, and type of car. Best bet would be to use an insurance broker in Berlin, who can check around various different insurance agencies and find the best deal for you.

Since Berlin has a an excellent public transport sytem I would strongly advise against the hassle and the expenses connected with buying a car ... in light of your limited income and the short duration of your stay

I agree with post#3.

Why should it be difficult to use public transport with children? thousands of families do so without problems every day... if you really need a car now and then, I would rent one (for example here http://www.die-ente.de/).

Public transport: Children under 6 are free, the monthly pass is 72 euro per person and at weekend and after 8:00pm you're allowed to take the whole family with you for free.
1500 euro is not that much, but it will be allright, there are some threads about living costs in the archive (we are a family with one baby and get along very well with about that amount of money INCLUDING the rent of our flat, but we have no car, this would be expensive).

All above comments on public transport are absolutely correct. The Berlin public transport system is excellent and very good value. Bringing kids around is no problem - the only issue is if you have a buggy, the lifts (elevators) and escalators can be unreliable. However if you have a 3 year old, I guess you've just got a light buggy, which should not be a problem when things go wrong.

Do not buy a car for living in Berlin - especially for 3 months, apart for the cost, you'll need to get to know your way round the city, get used to the local traffic conventions etc - stick with public transport, and if you want an occasional trip away, use the excellent train system in Germany, or hire a care.

Note also the comments made above regarding the size of your apartment. As mentioned a 3 room apartment, is what you would probably consider a 2 bedroom apartment. Ask to get a floor plan, and also check out the size in square meters. Also check what floor the apartment is on - dragging 3 kids and the shopping up 4 floors may not be desirable (most Berlin apartment buildings do not have elevators). Also, check out the area where the apartment is, and look for the local UBahn and SBahn stations.

Having said all that, if you are coming over soon, it is the ideal time, and the Berlin parks are blooming, and the city comes to life outdoors during the summer - lots of playgrounds, swimming pools, and lakes. Hope you have a great time.

Thank you all for the advice. It is realy a lot of information. However I still have some simple concerns:
1. How much does the monthly pass for my eldest daughter cost? she is more than six years old, but less than seven.
2. In case I will rent a car, should I, by the regulations, have three child seats in the car for 7, 5 and 3 years old children? Is it practical to do so?
3. I have some difficulties in walking (laming). Do people like me have any advantage in public transport?
Please advise.

Just how can one be more than six years old but less than seven?? Just curious.

You must, by law, have a child seat for each child under 12 or under a certain height in the car , so the answer is yes. Practical? I dont think so. Why buy a car for 3 months? Your insurance premium, IF you get insurance at all for that short a period, will be prohibitive.

As far as I am aware, you do not have special privileges just because you dont walk well. You just need to be careful.

Further to advisability of having a car, the traffic in Berlin can be fairly horrendous

My daughte is 6 years 8 months old.

You do not need a car in Berlin.
Berlin has a public transport system that puts anything in the US to shame.
You can also travel outside Berlin on a Schönes Wochenend or
Brandenburgerkarte ticket for next to nothing with a family.
Its also very bike friendly.

Regarding public transport costs, Berlin is divided into zones. You can buy tickets for zones A & B, B&C, or A-C. A&B usually cover most needs, with the notable exception being for triops to and from Potsdam or the airport, which are in zone C. An adult monthly ticket (transferable) costs 72€. With this ticket, children under 14 and one adult can travel for free AFTER 8pm, or all day Saturday, Sunday and national holidays. There are monthly tickets for children (your 5 and 3 year old will travel for free), but in order to get one your odest child would need to be enrolled in a Berlin school. (Monthly tickets for children are 26€ and this includes the free transport of one bike.)

HOWEVER: your oldest child would be entitled to reduced fare for individual (1,40€), day (4,40€) and "4 journey ticket" (5,30). The latter is a bit like the Parisian Metro carnet - you buy 4 tickets at once and it works out cheaper than buying 4 individual tickets and the tickets can be used on different days.